Washing device



Dec. 9, 1930. s. R. WAGEL 1,784,401

' WASHINGDEVIGB Filed Aug. 31. 1927 f. V flwuentoz 33 he flbtow Patented Dec. '9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SRINIVAS RAM WAGEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Ya, ASSIGNOB F SEVENTY-FIVE PER CENT TO THE WIN CHESTER AMERICAN CORPORATION OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- 'IION OF NEW YORK wasn'me nnvrcn Application filed August 31, 1927. Serial No. 216,649.

This invention relates to washing devices and more particularl to devices wherein water vapor to the su stantial exclusion of circulating water is utilized for cleansing purposes.

Heretofore devices of many types in which there is an absence of moving mechanical parts have been produced for the washing of articles, such as clothing and dishes. One

of such types is'a washing device operating upon the well known percolator principle, that is, a device wherein heated water is discharged intermittently upwardly and thence downwardly upon the articles supported in the container. Another type differs from the percolator type device in that water may be discharged continuously in a steady stream upwardly and thence deflected downwardly u on the articles in the container. In each 0 these types of devices and in fact in all types of devices of this character, use has been made of the direct circulation of water in andthrough the articles for cleansing purposes. These types of devices have many disadvantages such as the harmful effect of water at a high temperature, and the fact that water of the'character known as hard water, i. e., water having a mineral content, is very slow to lather upon the introduction thereinto of any saponaceousor cleaning material. 7

Accordingly an object of the present invention is'to produce a new, simple, eliicient,

noiseless, and inexpensive washing device without the disadvantages referred to.

The present invention overcomes the difliv culties set forth above by making use pri-' marily and mainly of water vapor and incidentally of the condensate thereof for the cleansing action. It is well'known-that waperature substantially below the boiling point and also that the formation of water vapor is expedited by the addition of saponaceous material or a cleansing medium of any desired character to the water to be heated. In the present invention water in any suitable container may be heated sufficiently to cause its discharge upwardly through any suitable arrangement whereby theentrained ter vapor forms at a comparatively low temvapor will be liberated. The discharged water, however, is not intended to come into contact with the articles tobe cleansed in thecontainer, but is caused to be returned directly or indirectly to the bottom of the container for reheating. The liberated water vapor upon striking a cover for the container whlch has a condenser-like effect becomes cooled to some extent and becomes partially and effects a very efficient cleansing thereof.

Other features and objects of the present invention may be readily ascertained by reference to the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a sectional elevation of an embodiment of the invention and Fig. 2- is a section taken on the l,ines 2-'2 v of Fig.1 with parts broken away to better show the arrangement of all of the parts.

Referringnow to the drawings, 10indicates a container of any desired shape and size and composed of any suitable material. The container is provided at its top with a peripheral head which forms a seat for cover 11 to be described in detail hereinafter. In order that water placed in the container may be discharged upwardly to cause liberation of water vapor from the discharge, there is located within the container a removable -internal element composed of a cone 12 to the apex of which is secured a tube 13 around which there is a plate 14 secured to the tube at approximately the point'of jointure between the tube and the cone. rangement just described is the preferred form of structure for causing discharge of water upwardly other suitable means of well known character may be employed for this purpose. The plate 14 is provided with a plurality of openings 15 and the cone 12 is likewise provided with a plurality of openings 16 for drainage purposes to be hereinafter more fully explained.

While the arthe bottom of the container without causing it to come into contact with the articles therein. For this purpose there is provided a second structure composed of a vertically extending tube 17 having a cross-sectional area approximately twice the cross-sectional area of tube 13 to the top of which is secured in any desired manner an inverted cone 18.

Secured to the tube 17 a short distance from its lower end is a substantially horizontal plate 19 which serves the purpose of a support for the articles to be cleansed out of contact with the reservoir of heated water as shown in the drawings. A portion of the lower end of tube 17 is cut away as indicated at 17 to permit'drainage of Water therefrom. This structure composed of tube 17 cone 18, and plate 19 rests directly upon and is supported by the plate 14. Both plates 14 and 19 are of such design as to fit reasonably close within the container.

The cover.11 mentioned before is in the shape and character of a separate container adapted to rest upon the peripheral bead of container 10. As shown in Fig. 1 the bottom of this cover slants downwardly a short distance from its periphery as indicated at 20 and is then curved upwardly toward the cen ter thereof as indicated at 21. In this manner a relatively large surface which is utilized as a cooling or condensing surface is provided. The cover 11 is also provided with an upstanding portion 22 and top 23 preferably closedwith, the exception of at least one opening 24 through which water may be introduced as will be more fully explained hereafter. A suitable member 25 is provided for draining the cover of its contents.

Having described in detail the essential parts of the device the operation of the same is as follows: Starting with the container entirely empty the structure or element composed of cone 12, tube 13 andplate 14 is placed within the container. Having positioned this element the structure or element composed of tube 17, come 18, and plate 19 is then positioned within'the container as shown, that is, with the end of tube 17 resting on plate '14. In this position the discharge 5 opening of the tube 13 extends upwardly a slight distance above the point of jointure between tube '17 and the inverted cone '18. Water may then be introduced into the container in suitable quantity and soap or cleansing .medium of suitable character added. The next consideration is whether the articles to be washed, such as clothing are of such character as to be capable of beingwashed with vapor of a relatively high temperature or not. If the articles are ordinary white M clothing, or clothing having fast dyes, they are first thoroughly saturated with water and lower temperature rises entrained in the water; As soon as the water is discharged from tube 13, the water vapor is liberated therefrom and spreads outwardly over the under surface of the cover 11. The discharged water, however, upon striking the. curved under surface 21 of cover 11 is defleeted downwardly, trapped by the inverted cone 18 and drained downwardly through tube 17. As the water reaches the bottom of the tube it passes therefrom through the openings 17 therein and is returned to the bottom of the container through the openin 15 in plate 14 and the openings 16 in plate 12. Having reached the bottom of the container it is in position to be heated and redischarged.

The liberated water vapor upon striking the under surface 21 of cover 11 is partially cooled and is partially condensed. The constant liberation of water vapor from the discharged water forces that previously liberated along with its condensate downwardly into the clothing under its own generated pressure, eventually forcing the vapor and condensate throughoutthe mass of clothing. This passage of cooled water vapor and condensate through the clothing effects a very eflicient cleansing thereof. After this procedure has been carried out for a suflicient length of time the clothing may be removed, rinsed and permitted to dry.

Should the article to be washed such as clothing be of the character likely to be injured by contact with-vapor of a relatively high temperature, a slightly different procedure should be followed out. Silks, woolens and material colored with so-called fugitive dyes, i. e. dyes lackin the qualit of fastness are goods of this c aracter. ith the two elements before explained positioned in the container and water along with soap or other cleansing medium introduced into the container, the delicate articles or articles having fugitive coloring are first thoroughly saturated with water preferably luke-warm and placed into the container upon plate 19. Cover 11 is then completely filled with cold water which may be introduced through the opening 24. The water inthe container is then heated by starting the burner over which the container is placed or in any other suitable manner and when the water is at its proper temperature the result is the discharge of water and water vapor and the consequent liberation of the Water vapor as before explained. The reason for the use of cold water into the cover 11 is for the purpose of its action as an efiicient condenser so that-the temperature of the liberated vapor will be suitably reduced in order to prevent harmful effects upon its contact with the delicate or fugitive-dyed articles in the container. The cover 11 is of size to hold a quantity of water sufiicient to insure the cooling or condenser-like effect of the cover for the duration of'the washing operation. After this procedure just outlined has been carried out a sufficient length of time, the cover ma be removed, drained through opening 24 an the clothing removed for rinsing and drying. In connection with this use of the device the space between the plates 14 and 19 plays an important though not essential part. This space serves as an insulating space to prevent the heat from the bottom of the con tainer from directly contacting with the articles acted upon.

. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that this invention is equally efiicient with any type of device wherein water is discharged ina container, whether it be of the percolator type or of the constant discharge type and it is to be understood that the claims are to be so construed. It is to be understoodfurther that the term water vapors used herein both in the specification and in the claims is to be construed as meaning vapors existing at a temperature below the tempera ture of steam.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a container, a support therein for articles to be washed, av tube extending vertically upwardly in said container, means whereby the application of heat to water in said container causes discharge of water and Water vapor from the top of said tube to permit said articles to become saturated with water'vapor' and means for causing return of the discharged water to the bottom of the container without contacting with said articles, comprising a tube of cross-sectional area larger than said first tube and encircling the same, --.nd an inverted cone secured to the top of said second tube and extendin above the top of said first tube, and a de ector posi tioned above said cone.

2. In a device of the character described the combination of a closed container, a support therein for articles to be washed, means eiiective upon the heating of water in said container for causing upward discharge in said container of water and water vapor whereby said water vapor is liberated to saturate said articles, a trap for collecting the discharged water and a passage extendmgfrom 7 said trap to below said article support whereby the discharged water is returned to the name to this s ecification.

INIVAS RAM WAGEL. 

